Skywalker's Return
by ptrz
Summary: Luke decides to go back to the Resistance with Rey. As he continues to train Rey as his Padawan, he also helps in the war efforts. Along the way, everyone learns that the galaxy has played them. And it is time to learn the truths that were hidden from them for a long time. And also to discover what the stars have in store for them all.
1. The Return

Chapter I

THE RETURN

As dramatic as it seemed, the _Falcon_ 's main door opened with a hiss as it descended onto to ground to act as a wide ramp for everyone onboard to finally come back to Yavin IV. People, including their friends and _family_ , waited nearby to watch as they walk down the ramp.

First came out Chewbacca, who roared in delight as he saw the bright sunlight that greeted him. As he stepped onto the concrete, he grabbed the nearest thing that he could find and embraced it with his might. That _thing_ just turned out to be the golden droid with the red arm.

"Oh, goodness, Chewie! You might cost me another limb! Or a head!" He complained before the wookie abruptly let go of him, nearly toppling him to the ground.

R2-D2 came out next, beeping along the way. He stopped rolling midway and turned to look behind him, before turning around once again to continue his journey down.

Leia's heart beat fast against the vest she wore. After 15 long years, her brother is finally home. She could not even decide if she felt excited to see him for she missed him so much, or if she was angry at him for leaving her to deal with the galaxy. She sighed, knowing her brother went through a lot. And all she could do now is make sure he was all right, and that he was welcome in their home.

When they saw two pairs of feet touch the sunlight up in the ramp, everything seemed like it was in slow motion. There, walking towards them was Rey… and the Luke Skywalker himself.

Leia smiled. Her brother was back.

The duo were synchronized in their steps, Rey on the left side while Luke was on her right, the old man following the young girl's pace. Rey had a look of satisfaction on her face as she looked at the people who greeted them. Luke had the same look on his face, only milder and more serene.

But Leia could see in his eyes that he hesitated to look at them. She could sense his guilt the moment that he stepped out.

At last, they stepped out onto the concrete. Almost immediately, a shout was heard.

"Rey!"

Rey turned to her left to see Finn running essentially limping because his crutches were in the way, towards her. Her face brightened as a smile appeared. She jogged towards him to meet him halfway and opened her arms to greet him with a hug.

"Finn!" she called, enveloping him in a hug.

He let go of one crutch, letting it fall onto the ground, and returned the hug with one arm, while the other held on to the one crutch that was keeping him from falling.

"You're back! You've been gone for, like, a month," he said, excitement lacing his voice.

Rey's smile widened as she pulled away and replied, "Well, it's good to be back."

"Finn, careful now. You haven't healed completely yet," a voice called behind Finn. Poe jogged towards them to appear behind the injured ex-stormtrooper.

"Hey, Rey. Have you met this guy yet?" Finn asked, pointing the guy who crouched down to get his fallen crutch. "He's the one who helped me escape the First Order."

"Yes, I've met her before. I ran into her while she was keeping watch on you while you were still sleeping, my friend," the pilot informed Finn, not taking his eyes off Rey.

"Oh, cool!" Finn said, happy that his two friends know each other already. "Hey, Rey, you changed your hair."

Rey laughed, touching her short wavy locks. They were only kept away from her face by braiding a small part of her hair from both sides and tying the two braids at the back of her head.

"Yes, well, my ponytail got caught in something while I was training. I thought I might as well cut it off."

"Well, it suits you very well, Rey," Poe said, obviously appreciating her new look.

Finn nodded, before realizing what she just said. "Training? Train for what?

Meanwhile, Luke stood a meter from his sister, looking at her with mixed emotions that she expertly read. Leia smiled at him gently, and took a step towards him.

"You know, brother, you forgive others so easily. But never yourself," she said, lacing a bit of amusement in her voice.

Luke let out a bitter chuckle before he replied, "I hope you will never learn of how it feels to make a grave mistake that will cost your whole world, sister. You'll find out that it does not feel very nice."

Leia laughed a little, "I'm sure."

They looked at each other for a moment before Luke smiled and Leia opened her arms for him to come closer to her. He immediately returned the warm hug she gave him, feeling the familiarity of his sister's embrace.

"I missed you, Luke," she said, sighing in relief.

Luke buried his nose in her hair for a while before he whispered, "I missed you, too."

They stayed in that position for a moment, basking in the feeling of the same blood finally close to them again. Leia then pulled away but still kept him close.

"You grew a beard," she commented.

"You changed your hair," he commented back.

Feeling a sense of dèjá vu run over her, she said, "That is also what Han said to me the last time he arrived here."

Luke's smile disappeared, and was replaced with an expression of remorse and guilt. Leia shook her head and lifted his chin to make him look at her.

"He wouldn't have wanted us to mourn for him," she reassured him. As Luke opened his mouth to say something, probably to blame himself again, Leia interrupted him.

"He would have wanted us to kick some First Order asses."

With that, Luke's smile reappeared. When the two of them heard a burst of laughter from the other reunion near them, namely Rey, Poe and Finn, they turned to look at them.

Luke sighed as he turned his vision to shorthaired girl of the group. A wave of guilt filled him once again.

"No wonder I liked her the moment I saw her. She very much resembles our grandmother," Leia said before turning to Luke.

"And you, Brother."

Luke quickly turned to her, telling her all of the guilt that he felt about what happened to Rey many years ago.

"The galaxy is very vast, and I concluded it was only a coincidence that she bears the same name as _your_ Rey," she continued when he did not say anything else.

Luke turned to look at his young padawan, as she smiled at her friends, again. Leia followed suit.

"Have you told her?"

Luke once again turned to his sister and finally replied, "I don't think it's time yet."

"Oh? What are you so afraid of, Luke?"

Before Luke could answer, a familiar face, however aged by time, came up beside them.

"Luke Skywalker."

The siblings turned to the voice.

"Lando," Leia greeted before the said man took her hand and kissed it.

"You act as if we did not see each other yesterday," she said jokingly.

"My sister is still off-limits for you, Lando. Just so you know," Luke joked before the dark-skinned man leaned in to hug him and pat his back.

"It's good to see you again, Skywalker. How long has it been," Lando said, smiling widely.

"It's good to see you, too, Old Friend," Luke said.

"You know, I actually miss having some action with you, Skywalker. The Resistance definitely felt much stronger with you around."

Luke chuckled bitterly, "Well, you did just fine without me, that I can tell." He pointed the base around them.

They chatted for a while, doing a little bit of catching up before the trio of the-relatively-young went up to them.

"Why, Rey, it's very nice to see you again," Lando greeted her. Rey smiled back.

"It's nice to see you too, Sir Calrissian," she replied before turning to Leia and bowing her head a little. "And you, General Organa."

Leia went a little closer and hugged the younger girl, "Welcome back, my Dear." She pulled away and commented, "Your new hairstyle looks very good on you."

Rey could not help but smile bashfully at the kind woman in front of her. "Thank you, General."

Getting over the flush of the older woman's complement, she proceeded to what she dragged the two boys to them.

"Oh, Master Skywalker, let me introduce my friends. They were the ones I told you about who fought with me," Rey told Luke, a little more formal than how she usually treated him.

Luke examined the two _males_ before him. One was in a pilot's uniform, something very similar to what he wore back in his younger days. The other wore casual clothing, and bore crutches. Yes, he remembered them. Rey mentioned them in their many conversations back in _his_ planet. The pilot, he had no problem with. But he did not even completely hide his suspicion over the injured man who he knew the background.

"This is Poe Dameron, an X-Wing Pilot. He lead the destruction of the Starkiller Base," Rey said, pointing Poe.

"He is our most skilled pilot in the Resistance," Leia added.

Poe extended his hand to the old Jedi, who shook his hand in return. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, too."

"Oh, and this is Finn," Rey said, pointing her injured friend this time. "He helped BB-8 and I escape Jakku and fight Kylo Ren."

Obviously very nervous, Finn shakily extended his hand to the Jedi Master. "Hello—uhm. It is—uh. It is an honor to meet you," he stammered. "Sir."

Luke shook his hand, but his look of suspicion only intensified, which agitated both Finn and Rey. "You're an ex-Stormtrooper?"

Finn gulped in nervousness, while both Rey and Poe held their breaths as Luke continued to look at Finn as if he was about to pluck everyone from Finn's side.

"I can assure you, Brother. Finn has helped us tremendously in the effort to destroy the Starkiller Base," Leia butted in, noticing the tension between them.

After a few moments, Luke's expression changed abruptly that held a grateful smile. Rey and Poe let out silent breaths they held and Finn felt utterly relieved. Luke chuckled, sensing the anxiety in the three of them.

"Well, I'd like to thank you, Finn. Despite what everyone in the First Order made you believe, you still found it in you to see the Light, and ultimately helping my young Padawan, Rey," Luke smiled at her, and continued, "and the whole Resistance."

Finn stared at him, not believing his ears. ' _Did… did Luke Skywalker just_ thank _him?'_ he thought, his mouth slightly agape with all the amazement that he felt.

"Uhm. Finn," Poe elbowed him gently, noticing that his friend was in a daze.

Finn snapped out of his daze and stammered, "It was—it was my pleasure, Sir."

Rey and Poe looked at each other, shrugging at what just happened. Leia giggled gently at the dazed boy, and proceeded to point the entrance to the building near them.

"Come," she said, sounding inviting. "Let us get ourselves some lunch. I'm sure my brother and Rey have had a very long trip. And we have all been here for a while. Let's get to the mess hall before Chewie eats everything."

With that, they all started walking. Along the way, Leia could be heard telling Luke, "Oh, Luke, have you not been feeding Rey? She clearly lost some weight. She was already skinny to begin with!"

"That is the way of the Jedi, sister. And all of the stars know I cannot cook well."

"You've been gone for 15 years and you never learned how to cook?"

"I was merely feeding myself, I just got used to it."

"Well, you must have at least tried a little harder when Rey arrived. I can't believe she stayed with you for two months!"

The rest of the group just smiled, enjoying the sibling bicker they witnessed. The young ones were very amused with General Organa for she was usually very diplomatic, and Lando felt a sense of familiarity with what was happening. Rey also marvelled at how her master just let himself be _himself_ for a while.

* * *

 **A/N: This is just my take on how Luke returns to the Resistance after his disappearance. And like Leia said, he has been gone for 15 years before this happened.**


	2. A Vision

Chapter II

A VISION

" _Rise."_

 _Darkness. Total darkness. She could not see anything but black. But a voice was playing in her head, telling her something that she could not understand._

 _But it was pulling her. Pulling, pulling, pulling. Where she was being lead, she did not know. But she hesitated. There was something about it that she did not trust._

" _Rise."_

 _And then there was light. The light momentarily blinded her, causing her to shield her eyes. And when she noticed she could now see something, she put her arm down and looked around._

 _She was in a child's room. On her right, she saw a crib by the window, complete with holograms of stars twinkling above it. And on her left was a rocking chair, with a woman sitting on it, her baby cradled in her arms._

 _The baby seemed to be falling asleep now as the woman sang a lullaby with a hushed, but lovely, voice._

" _Lullaby, and good night,_

 _In the skies stars are bright,"_

 _Something in the song sounded so familiar to Rey, and so she took a few steps toward the woman, not realizing she might be noticed. But the woman kept singing and acted as if she was not there._

" _Moon River, wider than a mile,_

 _I'm crossing you in style, someday."_

 _Rey was now just a few centimeters from her and the baby. And she realized that the woman really did not notice. While this seemed odd to her, she decided to look at the scene first before letting her presence known._

 _The toddler was wrapped in a white blanket, her small tuft of brown her sticking out. She looked so serene like that, almost as if she was very content just to be in her mother's arms._

 _Rey felt a spark of envy deep inside her._

 _She listened on for a while before she saw the baby open her eyes abruptly. Rey gasped, fearing that the baby must have_ felt _her. But it did not look at her. Instead, it looked at the mother who flashed a smile seeing the baby's pair of brown eyes, much like her own._

 _Rey noticed that the mother also had brown eyes herself and she could not help but notice her dark red hair that accentuated her brown eyes. Unlike Rey's own brown hair and brown eyes that gave her nothing of the beauty that the mother exuded._

" _Hello," Rey said quietly, wanting to ask some questions but hoping not to disturb the baby._

 _But alas, the mother did not notice her._

" _Hello?" Rey called again, this time a little louder._

 _No sort of reaction again._

" _We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend." the red-haired woman continued._

 _Rey's eyes widened, knowing that she was not heard at all. With that, she reached her hand out, attempting to touch the baby. But alas, her hand went through._

 _She was a ghost._

 _Suddenly, a pull from her navel caused her to fly backwards and all she could see are the stars that they see as they pass them in light speed. Only this time, she was travelling backwards._

 _And there was darkness again. She closed her eyes shut, afraid of the bright light that might appear again._

" _I need you to be strong."_

 _That voice. That gentle voice. So familiar. And now she did not feel like she was in her own body. She felt like she was_ smaller _. Younger. She felt herself let out a whimper. No, she was definitely in her younger self's body._

" _You can do it."_

 _She now opened her eyes and saw that indeed, she was her child self, and she was clinging desperately to a man. He carried her and kept her very close, placing his hand over her head and slightly pushed it to his shoulder._

" _There's my brave little warrior."_

 _As she lifted her head to look at the man who carried her, the world suddenly became blurred. But she knew that he looked at her, and smiled that kind smile that looked so, very familiar._

 _And then there was darkness again._

 _She felt herself hit the concrete this time, and her body was hit with a wave of pain._

" _Rise, child."_

 _The world was blurry again. But she felt a violent storm around her. It was raining hard, and she heard marching ahead of her. Coming towards her._

 _Then there was a flash of red. Coming right in front of her._

" _Rise, Skywalker!"_

Rey bolted upright from her bed, gasping for air.

Her nightmares were getting more frequent now.

But this time she dreamed as Master Skywalker.

* * *

"You must know, Luke. I have not completely forgiven you."

Luke turned his eyes to the floor, refusing to meet his sister's gaze. He felt badly enough of his failure, and now his sister has not forgiven him. It seemed only right.

Leia chuckled, and continued, "for leaving me."

Luke gave her a small bitter smile. It definitely felt good to be back with Leia again. She was his sense of _home_. Well, majority of it. Han was as part of his world as Leia was. His brother in everything except their blood. Together, the three of them conquered everything before. He could not help but feel that Han's death was partly his fault. For not being there, and also for not stopping his nephew to turn to the dark side.

Luke and Leia excused themselves from the Mess Hall when Han's name was mentioned. While everyone turned silent when Lando said his name, they all knew that they were still mourning his death to some extent even after all these months. When Luke and Leia left, Luke to his quarters and Leia to do continue her work, Lando excused himself, too, and left for his other whereabouts, clearly still remembering his late friend.

"Now, don't you go blaming yourself again, Brother. You could not have stopped it," she assured him. "Besides, he also fought to bring back our son. And I think that's how he wants his passing to be remembered."

Luke looked at her for a while before he turned to look at the rising sun of D'Qar, and rested his hands on the rail of the balcony they stood in.

Leia noticed that Luke was not speaking very much. Even back when they were still eating in the mess hall where everyone, including Rey, shared her quips and joined the friendly jabs that usually Lando, Poe and Leia started. Luke just silently ate his lunch, smiling in amusement in the conversation going on in front of him. He sometimes spoke, but only when he was asked, or if Leia or Rey teased him, albeit carefully. She figured it was probably the effect of the many years he spent in solitude, with only the wind to accompany him. And even though Rey, R2-D2 and Chewbacca had come to accompany him for the last few months, it still would not have made him come back to his old self because R2-D2 cannot talk, Chewbacca only roars, and she was quite sure that Rey was _slightly_ intimidated enough to keep her a little silent even through her training.

So, they stood there for a long while, staring at the setting sun in front of them. The rays were turning red-orange as it rose from beneath the end of the vast ocean. The sky turned from dark blue to violet, and then it turned indigo, to blue, and finally, the sky blue that signified daytime.

As he stared at the sun that was huge in front of them, Luke said, "You must know that guilt does not go away with time."

"And faith is something that does not come until it is too late."

Luke turned his head to look at his sister, inquisitive as to what she meant. Leia sighed and looked at the vastness in front of her, her eyes filled with regret.

"I mean it when I say that everything was not your fault, Luke," she said. "If it was anyone's fault, I admit it was mostly mine.

"You see, I have a habit of doubting ones I initially judge malicious, even those who are of my own blood."

The crease in Luke's forehead increased, indicating that he did not fully grasp what she was telling him.

"Many years ago, when you went to face our father, you held all the faith in your heart for him, even if I did not. We were his children. We were supposed to believe in him. Both of us. And it worked, Luke. You turned him back. I, however, still doubt our father up until this very moment."

Luke was beginning to understand now. But everything was still a little vague.

"But I tried to change. When Ben was still very young, I already doubted him, which was why I sent him to you to be trained. Deep inside my heart, I knew that the doubt I had in him could be balanced by how much you had faith in everyone. And I thought that was enough."

"Leia-"

Leia held up a hand, indicating he should let her continue.

"We both know it wasn't, Luke. You're just his uncle. I am his mother. I bore him from my womb. I should have believed in him more than anyone."

"Leia," Luke said gently, trying to comfort her as tears threatened to fall from her glassy eyes.

"And he passed the blame on you."

With that, Luke placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her as he sensed the deep sadness that emanated from her heart.

"And now Han is gone," she said quietly before looking up at him, "I'm sorry, Luke."

Luke stepped forward, embracing her. Leia laid her head down on his chest, letting a single tear fall down her cheek as Luke rubbed her back. He did not know what to say to her for he was experiencing her pain, too. But his lament for Ben must not have been as great as it was for her.

After a few moments, Leia pulled away and looked at him. "But it is not too late to turn things around."

Luke agreed with her. The Light in his heart was guiding him. And he knew this to be true, too. And he knew how to get there.

"I can sense that you already know what to do," Leia said, her confidence slightly lifting his spirits.

"She will not turn, Luke. And I know that you know that, too."

Luke chuckled; knowing whom his sister was talking about. "I see myself greatly in her, you know. Just as headstrong, determined, and _impatient_ as I was."

Leia chuckled in return, "Well, you know what they say-"

"Yes, sister. I know what they say," Luke butted in, and Leia threw him a knowing smile.

"Now, tell me. What has gotten you up so early, Brother?" she asked, suddenly curious. Back in the day, she was the one who rose earlier than he did. She liked to say that she was the 'morning twin'. That morning, as she arrived in the balcony to watch the sun rise, when she saw that there was a cloaked figure that arrived earlier than her, she hesitated. But she knew that he was her brother, standing so still despite the wind.

Luke chuckled, looking at her playfully. "Age alters our sleep cycle, Sister. Surely you must know that."

With that, she lightly smacked his arm, which earned a grunt of complaint from him. She smiled.

"Ow, what was that for?" he asked rhetorically, dramatically rubbing his arm.

"I was serious, you know."

Luke's playful demeanor washed out of his face, and was replaced by a look of worry. Leia followed suit.

"She had a vision."

"A vision?"

"She thinks that it was only a nightmare. But Leia," he said, clearly anxious about it. "She is starting to remember."

 **A/N: So I made some changes in the song and Rey and her mother's eyes. I just saw Daisy Ridley's picture a while ago and I realised that she had brown eyes after all. Oops. Sorry! Hope you still enjoy! :D**


	3. Rey's Day Off

**CHAPTER III**

REY'S DAY OFF

Rey ran as fast as she could through the woods of Yavin IV, feeling the weight of her master has put on her back. She was not carrying her master _physically_ , but he used the force to make her feel like she was. Her master was there in the woods somewhere. She just needed to find the exact spot.

She was running out of time. Her small braids were almost giving up on her short hair. She paused her steps, catching her breath while she looked around. She was in the middle of nowhere.

' _Focus, Rey,'_ she heard her master speak in her mind. She sensed him. But she was feeling too frantic to think straight.

' _You can get nothing out of your anxiousness.'_

Feeling a little calmer, Rey breathed deeply and evenly. She closed her eyes and felt the force flow everywhere. She felt the leaves get winded, the current of the water a few miles ahead. But her master was nowhere to be found. So, she meditated a little deeper, the weight of her master getting more and more unnoticed.

And there he was. She opened her eyes and ran the opposite direction. She found him in time.

* * *

That night, Rey, Finn and Poe were seated together during dinner in the mess hall. Most of the rebels in the day shift were there, making the hall quite noisy and full of life. Rey noted that only General Organa and other high officials were present in their table. Master Skywalker was nowhere to be found. So, Rey just shrugged it off and thought that maybe he was not hungry, or that he was going to eat a little later.

"So, how was your training today?" Finn asked, his mouth full of food. He looked at Rey while he was chewing. Rey and Poe would have found the sight to be a little comical. But they shrugged it off, continuing to eat their food in a slow pace.

"I don't know. Master Skywalker was a little… off today," Rey said, contemplating while picking at her food. She knew she had no right to be playing with food because of its scarcity while she grew up. But the thought of her master bothered her more than her past at the moment.

"Off? Off how?" Finn asked before shoving more rice into his mouth.

"Like there was a lot in his head. We usually meditate together before the training proper starts. But I sensed that he wasn't focused on the Force as I was."

"You feel each other meditating in the Force?" Poe asked, looking up from his food.

"Yeah," Rey replied before eating a spoonful of rice.

"Do you like, bump into each other's souls along the way or something?" Finn asked, this time his mouth void of food. Rey paused and stared at him, making him say, "Okay, stupid question, I know-"

"Yeah."

Finn and Poe blinked before returning to their meals. They will never understand the way of the Jedi.

Meanwhile, Rey just shrugged the thought of her master off. He was probably just having an _off_ day.

Five weeks later, Luke decided to give Rey a day off, which Rey found to be odd, but she shook it off just like the night before. So, the younger Jedi decided to wander around the base.

Despite being around a lot of people—creatures—already for more than a month, Rey was still amazed at the feeling of someone being friendly to her. Whether it was a "good morning, Miss Rey," or a simple nod of recognition of her presence, it always gave Rey's day a ray of sunshine. Back in Jakku, she was no one. She was a scavenger with no importance. Who was left there to die. But here, she was someone. Some people even found it very odd that she had no last name.

 _It was after dinner that Poe found Rey in the balcony of the Mess Hall one night. Nobody tended to go to that place. For most of the Resistance people, the ocean was just a normal sight to be seen. But for Rey it was different. The amount of water in the planet was intriguing to her. So she was just standing there, looking over the ocean._

 _Poe entered the balcony, purposefully clearing his throat before he continued to approach her. She turned her head to glance at him, and offer a small smile. He went to stand next to her._

" _The water's calm, isn't it?" Poe asked rhetorically, just wanting to start a conversation. He held a small smile on his face, being the friendly person that he was. Rey tilted her head a little and chuckled._

" _I hope it stays that way," she replied, remembering the beautiful ocean of Acht-To, where she and the Jedi Grand Master met._

 _The two fell in silence for a few moments, before Rey decided to break it._

" _Is it always like this here? The people, I mean," she asked, earning a confused look from Poe._

" _What about the people?"_

 _Rey paused a little, like she was still thinking about what to say. "Are you all always so… friendly?" Like they were all part of a family._

" _Friendly?" Poe contemplated for a while before smiling. "Yes, we always are."_

 _Rey nodded, fascinated by the culture they have. A tiny part of her wished that she could have it, too._

" _You know, you're already a part of this community, Rey. You don't need to feel left out, if that's really how you feel."_

 _She looked at him, amazed by his kind smile and easygoing look. It was very unlike the looks that Jakku creatures gave her. Finn already gave her a preview of kindness. Then there was Han and Chewie. Leia and Luke exuded it. She felt it when Leia hugged her at their first meeting, and when Luke agreed to train her, and offered her huge amounts of food and comfortable shelter, even more comfortable than his. And here, Poe looked at her with no malice, almost like he liked her company._

" _I mean, Finn adjusted quite eagerly. I think that there's-"_

" _Thank you so much, Poe," she blurted out, giving him a small smile. Poe raised his eyebrows in surprise._

" _What for?"_

 _Rey just smiled a little wider, not really knowing what to say. Instead, she just shrugged and looked back to the ocean. Poe just shrugged it off, too, and continued to smile._

" _Say, Rey," he started after a few moments of silence again. "Do you have a last name?" Inside, Poe kicked himself after her said that. He realized that it sounded like a beginning of a pick-up line. He thanked the gods that Rey did not know those things and answered the question properly._

" _No," she said, a hint of sadness lacing her voice. Poe immediately started feeling guilty, but Rey continued, "I don't know who my parents are. But it's okay. I'm here now. I think it's all that matters."_

 _Poe looked at her, and then nodded. "Yup, that's right. And because of that, would you like to learn how to fly an X-Wing someday?"_

 _Rey looked at him swiftly, excitement taking over her. "Of course! But-"_

" _Just swing by the docks anytime then."_

And that was the reason Rey decided to go to the said docks. She marveled at the shiny units that the Resistance had. All new, properly functioning, none needed any repairs. It was everything a mechanic like Rey wanted to see.

"Rey!"

She turned around to see Poe running towards her, clad in his bright orange flight suit and BB-8 rolling beside him. She started jogging towards them and soon after, she stopped right in front of them. BB-8 bumped at her legs and beeped something that sounded like a greeting.

Rey laughed, bent down and said, "Well, hello there, Beebee."

Poe chuckled at the droid. "He's been going on and on about you, you know. 'Where's Miss Rey?', 'Can we go see Miss Rey?', 'My antenna got bent, let's go see Miss Rey.'"

Rey laughed again and patted the droid's head fondly. "I missed you, too, Beebee. I'm sorry, I've been preoccupied lately."

Still, the droid beeped excitedly, saying things to her in binary.

"Where's Finn?" Rey asked the pilot, prying a strand of her hair away from her mouth.

"General Organa called him up just a while ago. We're assuming he got assigned for a mission." Poe answered, enjoying the wind and the sunlight.

"Oh," Rey said, slightly disappointed that her friend was not available. She had very little free time, and her friend just had to be absent during the time when she was finally there to hang out.

Poe, feeling her disappointment, decided to distract her. He smiled and said, "But I'm free for today. Want to fly an X-Wing?"

Rey smiled, very eager but she was a little shy. She rarely ever got timid, and she considered the fact that she and Poe talked to each other a lot, and he has been nothing but friendly to her. She did not exactly know the reason for her timidity. "Aren't all these units owned in this side by your Squadron?"

Poe let out a mischievous chuckle and said, "You'll use Jess's then."

"She won't mind?"

"What she doesn't know won't kill her," he answered, a cheeky smile on his face. Rey smiled brightly at him, making Poe feel like he had butterflies in his stomach.

Wait, what?

Poe shook his head to clear out his rather odd thoughts and said, "What do you say? Race to the next island?"

Rey's eyes widened at the challenge. "Y—You won't even teach me first?"

He laughed heartily and signaled her to follow him. Rey got the message and followed the pilot towards the line of X-Wings parked neatly at the dock. "You said you can fly anything, right?"

"But the X-Wing isn't even yours!"

And so that day, Rey finally got to fly an X-Wing. Maybe she was really destined to be something bigger than a scavenger left on Jakku.

So, that night, Poe and Rey met with Finn for dinner. Right after they finished eating, they just stayed there and Finn explained that he was called in for a mission, where he had to leave early the next morning with the Red Squadron.

"But you're not fully healed already!" Rey interjected, slamming her fork on the table. People turned their heads at her, and she shrunk when she saw Master Skywalker also turned to look at her. She sent a message through the force saying ' _I'm sorry.'_ Luke just chuckled and went back to eating his food.

"I am! See, I can walk properly now, and the doctor said I'm totally fine," Finn said, his hands flailing around.

Poe scratched the back of his head. "But Finn just last week, you were on crutches."

"But I'm fine, guys, don't worry about me," Finn reassured his friends, feeling a little drowsy. So, he yawned and stretched his arms, much to the amusement of his tablemates. Rey opened her mouth to say something, but Finn started to stand up.

"Hey, guys, I'm really sleepy now. I'll go to bed early, alright?" Finn said, patting them both on their backs.

"What, aren't you going to have some chocolate cake with us like we talked about?" Poe asked. Rey nodded in agreement, wanting to have Finn's company a little longer.

"Nah, I snuck here before dinner for some Crème Brule anyway. I'm stuffed. I gotta get some shut eye now."

The two nodded and bid him good night. When Finn was out of sight, they turned back to face each other again. It was then that they realized it was just them again. BB-8 was not even there. Luke and Leia were not there at their table anymore, and the Mess Hall was almost empty.

"Well," Poe started, looking sheepish. "We could still get that chocolate cake if you want."

Rey smiled at him and started to stand. "Race to the kitchens then."

"You're on."

And later that night, Poe offered to walk Rey to her quarters. No, he did not offer. He insisted. Deep down, it was okay with Rey. She did not have to be alone… walking to her quarters, which were only a few meters away. She enjoyed his company, much like she enjoyed Finn's.

Poe was a very friendly and approachable man. Everybody liked him; everybody wanted to be his friend. Everybody was also wondering why he was still single. Some people thought he liked men; some just thought that he was just not looking for relationships. And the latter was true. Poe was so busy fighting for the resistance that, just like most of the other pilots in his squadron, he had no time for those things. Sure, there were many available women in his team, but maybe it really was just not the time for his love life to take place.

He recognizes that Rey was a woman, too. And she was very strong, kind, smart… and very pretty.

Poe caught himself in his thoughts when Rey suddenly spoke, "This is it." He looked at the room number above the threshold then looked at Rey.

"Oh. There you go then," he stammered, still looking at her. Was he nervous?

Rey nodded and smiled. "I had fun today, Poe. Thank you so much," she said, almost sounding nervous herself. "For the flight lessons, I mean."

Poe smiled back. "Anytime, Rey."

"I better get inside then," Rey said, not taking her eyes off him, and as the door slid open for her to enter.

"Yeah," he replied, feeling sheepish again. So, he waved at Rey and said, "Good night, then."

Rey started to walk inside and said, "Good night, Poe." And the door slid shut.

Rey thought it was a pleasantly odd day.

* * *

Back in Poe and Finn's room, BB-8 beeped something to Finn in binary. _"Good job, friend Finn."_

Finn laughed and patted the droid. "Yup, Beebee. We did a good job indeed."


End file.
